The new Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), Akin Adejuwon, and his team have been advised to tell the home truth about the Nigerian reality to government.
Professor Sunday Ododo made this call recently in a keynote address at the first edition of the federal government agency’s stakeholders’ forum at the Banquet Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, with the theme ‘The Performative Expression in a Conflict Environment’.
But before Ododo, who is Head, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), and President, Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists (SONTA), could make his succinct delivery at the gathering that drew practitioners from all aspects of the arts, Markus Ishaya mounted the dais. The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Theatre/National Troupe of Nigeria reminded everyone why they were gathered, which was to make the troupe more proactive and productive.
He expressed hope that Adejuwon would better the record of Martins Adaji, the immediate past artistic director.
“You cannot do it alone; everybody in the troupe has a role to play, and you should take everybody as a stakeholder. Both you and the General Manager of National Theatre should work together,” Ishaya, who came all the way from Jos, Plateau State, for the event, stated.
Ododo said in his address that his assignment was “not to assess the scorecard of NTN as a troupe; but it is expedient for NTN to take stock of her activities within the last five years”.
He explained that this was to self-evaluate the agency’s performance before it moves to the next critical phase of the proposed outreach programme of perfomative expressions for conflict transformation and resolution.
According to him, the troupe, when not on international circuit, is more in Lagos and Abuja, especially the Presidential Villa.
“This, to me, does not sufficiently represent national tours. Besides, these outings are also mainly dance performances to entertain some dignitaries and not the generality of Nigerian people.
“I doubt also if these dance performances are packaged to tell the occupiers of the presidential villa some home truth about the Nigerian reality of unemployment, lack of potable water, irregular electricity supply, hunger and poverty, high cost of living and the agony of frustrated living in a country that is purportedly the largest economy in Africa and number 25 in the world,” Ododo said.
He explained that until the NTN begins to package productions that genuinely interrogate our socio-political system, it would be failing in her mandate to ensure that its productions are geared towards national aspirations.
Ododo said it is only with good knowledge of our present reality that we can aspire to be something greater.
After making other recommendations that will better the fortunes of the NTN, Ododo recalled the mandate of the troupe, which he said captured the good intentions of the new artistic director for the troupe and conceptualised the centrepiece of his vision, which is performative expression in a conflict environment.
Prof. Duro Oni, Sir Peter Badejo, Ben Tomoloju, Mahmood Ali -Balogun, Oba Gbenga Sonuga, Prof. Gbemi Remi Adeoti, Mrs. Bridget Yerima, Larry Williams, Kabir Yusuf, Efe Eboigbe and Steve James were among those at the event.
Adejuwon told those present that his mission is to re-invigorate and reposition the NTN for effective and efficient performing arts service delivery, including intensifying efforts aimed at popularising the rich cultural heritage of the great country through performances that are of high artistic standard.
To this effect, he said, “we intend to direct our products towards identifiable major clients, the federal government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the private sector, and the general public. An expansion of this dovetails into the key arm of the Federal Government, the Armed Forces.”
He said the present security situation in the country brings the import of this arm of government to the fore and that the NTN will represent this importance through performative expressions and promote same.